How to Love Your Home When Messy People Live There with Crystal Loveless Nerpel Artwork

Positively Living®: Shame-Free Productivity Conversations

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Hosted by Lisa Zawrotny, Productivity Coach and founder of Positively Productive Systems, the show replaces rigid productivity rules with flexible approaches that respect your energy and priorities. Through solo episodes, expert interviews, and live coaching sessions, Lisa covers the topics that actually affect your ability to move forward: stress management, habits and systems, decluttering, self-awareness, boundaries, mindset, entrepreneurship, and more.

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Positively Living®: Shame-Free Productivity Conversations

How to Love Your Home When Messy People Live There with Crystal Loveless Nerpel

March 31, 2025 • Lisa Zawrotny • Episode 255

0:00 | 48:30

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If I had a nickel for every time someone said, “I could totally be organized if I lived alone,” I’d have a lot of nickels. I’ve felt that way, too. No matter who you live with, it’s a challenge to organize for a group, especially when they have differing views on what being organized is and how a space should look and feel. Crystal Nerpel joins us on the podcast again this week to help us find our focus, encourage flexibility, and find a system that works for everyone. After all, loving your home isn’t just about the space but the people in it with you! This week, episode 255 of the Positively LivingⓇ Podcast is about how to love your home when messy people live there!

Crystal Nerpel is a retired award-winning professional organizer who lives in the Dallas- Fort Worth area of Texas with her husband, children, and pets. She spends most weekdays enjoying her home and writing. She recently published her first book, Loving Your Home: Clean Up Your Focus, Not Your House. Even though Crystal is a self-proclaimed homebody, she loves the great outdoors and thinks of herself as a “country mouse” living in the big city, so most weekends, she recharges her soul by spending time at her ranch in Loving, Texas.

In this episode of the Positively LivingⓇ Podcast, Crystal does a deep dive into the challenges of creating a peaceful, organized home when living with messy family members and gives you practical strategies to use for maintaining a loving environment while managing household clutter.

Crystal and I cover the following topics:

A recap of Crystal’s last podcast appearance and the importance of loving your home.
Shifting your mindset from fixing people to creating collaborative systems that work for everyone.
Developing flexible routines in place of rigid rules.
Recognizing that organizing is about creating happiness, not perfection.
Creating designated spaces that work for everyone’s needs.

Remember, a harmonious home isn't about perfect cleanliness—it's about creating a space of love, understanding, and mutual respect. Start by shifting your perspective and working together as a team.

CONNECT WITH CRYSTAL NERPEL:

Website

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CONNECT WITH LISA ZAWROTNY:

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

(Find links to books/gear on the Positively Productive Resources Page.)

Episode 35: Organize a space you love with Crystal Nerpel

Episode 156: How to Reduce the Mental Load as a Parent or Caregiver

Episode 241: Why Being Cozy Can Make You More Productive

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